Capturing The Witch

Retorca is a village feared by many. Though there was no concrete reason to believe the story that a powerful witch lives there, the story seems to go on for years and years. Perhaps it was the people in the village itself who keep this story alive,not because they believe there is actually a witch but because this story has protected them from any land buyers. They have long given up about the witch. Rich counts, dukes, and other royalties from here and there are buying lands in small villages where they build a mansion and assert dominance towards the common people. The people in Retorca hated these people for two reasons. Primarily, they want to maintain the order in the place for they have observed that ever since the rich bought lands in other village, the locals from that area started starving. And the other reason, there was nowhere to go and although it was believed by the outsiders that the village is haunted - it actually is a place of peace and order.

Until one day, the heads of the villagers turned toward the sound of a clanking horses' feet against the road made of brick stones. Everyone stopped what they were doing for a moment, but as soon as they went back to their senses and has processed that the town has a visitor, they went back to their duties. Children were entertained to see such beautiful white horses with braided mane pulling a fancy cart forward. The cart was velvet red decorated with golden jewelries. Its window is curtained with black silk. Meanwhile, the elders were hoping it was not another rich man who wants to buy a piece of land. They were quite surprise that someone had the courage to enter the village, because although they stopped believing that there was a witch in their town, the outsiders had grown distant from them enough to give the village an eerie aura. They were not mistaken that it wanted to avail a land when the tubby man who was guiding the horses asked one of the locals where the captain's place is.

"It is such a luck for the captain is I am," answered the village's head. Though he may not appear like one because of his peasant-like clothes, everyone respected him for keeping off the village from buyers. "We haven't had a visitor for a long time that it brought me to curiosity of your presence," added the captain though everyone knew the visit's intention.

"My Sire here," the tubby man swayed his hand towards the person inside the cart who didn't bother to show himself, "wants to buy a land, if you could show us everywhere."

The captain cleared his throat and started with the witch's story, confident that it will lose the buyer's interest. But he was stunned for a moment when the mysterious man in the cart said, "Yes, I have heard of that, captain. I still wish to buy, any place you could offer me I do agree to buy. Any amount will do." The man did not open the curtain, he remained hidden behind the black silk.

"Apology but I realized there is no land for sale." The captain's voice was firm.

"A shame. I have such a great idea of providing water system to your crops yet I suppose you don't need any of my help. If you have been gone to other town and villages, for sure you could tell Retorca is way behind in terms of your food production."

"Perhaps, you are right, Sire. But we are not starving."

"Well, then," answered the man before they left the village.